Indiana Downs

The notion that if Indiana wants you and you can’t get there, it simply means that you’re not trying hard enough to have a good time, something you will find at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville, Indiana.

They have it all: Three kinds of horse racing, Thoroughbred, Harness and Quarter-Horse, a pick of 2,300 slot machines, table games, and, oh yes, sports betting for those so inclined. If you can’t make it there, they have three Race and Sports Books throughout the state.

In 2018, Caesar’s Entertainment bought the operation from Centaur and immediately raised the track’s national profile. They knew their audience and catered to the older Hoosiers. The Lovin’ Spoonful played there, as did Grand Funk Railroad.

And was there ever a time when the Fabulous Thunderbirds couldn’t rock the house?

However, if you prefer equine entertainment presented between fences that encompass a one-mile dirt track and seven-furlong turf course and might enjoy a sprinkling of Quarter-Horse action that tail-ends Thoroughbred race cards, this is the place.

The nexus between horse racing and casinos is well documented and it’s no secret that when a racetrack grants entrée to a casino operation there’s a quid pro quo; the casino earmarks a portion of its earnings that goes toward Thoroughbred racing’s purses.

So now that the 2009 “Indiana Live! Casino” is the present-day Indiana Grand Racing and Casino, the quality of stock and the competition has improved accordingly, and it has been showing at the bottom line.

Races are run at all the popular distances on both surfaces, with the one-mile 70 yard trip seemingly the most popular of the two-turn dirt races offered. The track has no pronounced biases, although it does become tiring when drying out after a rain storm.

Turf racing is virtually the same as it is everywhere with turn of foot and finishing power ruling the day except during hot, dry spells that tend to bake turf courses which routinely favors speed types.

Purse levels are such that the locals no longer divvy up the dollars among themselves. Mainstays such as Marvin Johnson, Cipriano Contreras and Kim Hammond still win more than their fair share, but Genaro Garcia still rules the roost.

Last year, Garcia won his fourth consecutive title at a meet that goes nonstop from April through November, usually a four-days-per-week, a 120-day meet schedule with two midweek days plus Fridays and Saturdays. The 2021 season is set to open April 13^th.

As stated, purses now are attracting nationally known horsemen. Brad Cox, Tom Amoss and Steve Asmussen seldom fail to make an impression here, none more so than Cox, who finished 2020 with 36 winners, seven fewer than Garcia and dead-heating with runnerup Hammond.

Midwesterners Greg Foley, Michael Lauer, Tim Glyshaw and Michael Tomlinson ship-in with regularity, usually with a reason. Ubiquitous Mike Maker also makes his presence felt but any household name is likely to walk off with a G3 Indiana Derby or G3 Indiana Oaks title.

The riding colony is deep with familiar names such as Tommy Pompell, Fernando Del La Cruz, Alex Chancari and Marcellino Pedroza. All have devoted followings. Pompell finished fourth in 2020, in front of Emmanuel Esquival, but behind Rodney Prescott.

But none of the accomplished veterans could match the output of Fernando De La Cruz or Deshawn Parker, who virtually match-raced each other throughout 2020. Parker rode 106 winners, six more than Del La Cruz--and it was 33 winners back to show finisher Prescott.

Quarter-Horse fans anxious to cash a ticket can do worse than back the runners of the perennial leaders; dominant trainer Randy Smith and legendary reinsman, Sammy Mendez.